1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to support stays for use in articles of clothing, and particularly to protective support stays that will flex with the wearers movement without twisting or roll.
2. Technical Background
Support stays are used in ladies undergarments, such as brassieres and corsets, sports garments, orthopedic soft garments and other garments requiring support and anti-roll devices.
One approach that has been considered involves a stay formed of recurring loops of heat treated wire that are fitted with metal caps on the ends. One drawback to this approach involves exposing the wearer to sharp edges produced when the metal caps are separated from the wire. Both the metal caps and the wire have sharp edges. In addition, the edges of the metal caps are prone to catching the fabric during the insertion of the stay within the garment.
In another approach that has been considered, the metal caps are replaced by plastic terminals which are molded onto the wire. While this represents an improvement over the prior art, this approach also has several drawbacks. After repeated usage, the wire has a tendency to corrode and break, exposing the wearer to sharp edges. The recurring wire stay also has the undesirable tendency of completely turning within the pocket of the garment.
In another approach that has been considered, a stay is formed by an injection molding process. The stay includes a thick central strip flanked by a thin edging that has rounded notches. This approach also has a drawback. It is relatively inflexible in that it is incapable of movement in two orthogonol axes. Thus, the stay is characterized by undesirable twisting. In addition, the stay has very little give under a compression force. Hence, the stay is prone to a phenomenon known as "poke-through," to those skilled in the art.
In yet another approach, a stay is formed from a plastic strip having triangular notches that form a zig-zag pattern. While this stay has more flexibility than the stay discussed immediately above, it too is prone to twisting. Further, the end portion of the stay and the notches are formed with sharp angular edges that tend to catch on the fabric during insertion in the garment.
Thus, a need exists for a support stay that is protective and highly snag resistant. A need also exists for a support stay that will flex with the wearers movement on two axes, bending on the flat side as well as on the edge without twisting.